Darkest Side of Me
by xXxDaughteroftheKingxXx
Summary: "Where there is life, there is water, Katara. What I'm about to teach you can only be done by the strongest of Waterbenders. During a full moon, you could be unstoppable." In which Katara is reaped for the Hunger Games, and she learns that there is a dark side to everyone, even her.


_**Darkest Side of Me**_

_**By: xXxDaughteroftheKingxXx**_

_**Edited By: livingondaydreams**_

**AN: So... this came to me really randomly, a couple of weeks ago. I was disappointed in the lack of crossovers between the Avatar world and the Hunger Games world, so I decided I'd write one. **

**Plus, we all know that Katara is totally bada** when someone hurts someone she loves.**

**Woops. Spoiler. I'll shut up now.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or HG.**

* * *

It comes as a definite shock for her.

She really shouldn't be surprised, because for five years prior to this one, she has managed to luck her way out of going into the Arena. Ever since she managed to escape the Arena last year, she had been praying to whatever higher power there was out there that the odds would be in her favor, and once again, she could breathe a sigh of relief.

It doesn't work that way this year, though.

Her name is called, and it feels like her whole world has been yanked out from beneath her. The Peacekeepers are urging her to go forward—they're not exactly gentle, but they are not rough with her either. Then her brother is screaming—screaming that she cannot go, and that he volunteers…

It's a brave try, for everyone knows that going to the Arena is certain death for a nonbender like him, but the rules don't allow him to volunteer for her. He is a boy. She is a girl. He is one year too old to participate.

She feels like she is walking to her funeral as she shakily makes her way on to the stage—the last of three children, ages twelve to eighteen, to be a tribute from the Southern Water Tribe for the annual Hunger Games.

* * *

Her mentor is a woman worn by age—Hama, who also hailed from the Southern Tribe, but was taken captive and forced to work for the Fire Nation from when she was a young teenager. She quickly feels a bond with the elderly woman; they are one and the same. Two Waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribe, snatched up from their home, and forced to come to the wretched mainland.

She is the only female Waterbender that actually knows how to bend that is participating this year, and Hama takes it upon herself to teach Katara everything she needs to know. She can feel the envious glares from the other female tributes, but she couldn't blame them. Hama was putting everything into Katara making it home alive, which subsequently meant that she would rather have those girls die.

The eighteen year old learns things that she has never even comprehended in her short time to train; she's an awfully quick learner. But it's the night before she is to enter the Arena that Hama pulls her out of bed and teaches her the ultimate technique of a Waterbender.

"Where there is life, there is water, Katara," the old woman says in a hushed tone. Her haunted gray eyes are focused on the window, where the Moon is clear in sight. "What I'm about to teach you can only be done by the strongest of Waterbenders. It can be used any time the Moon is out, but during a full moon…"

She turns from the window, facing Katara, a cruel smile forming on her face. When she lifts her arms, Katara feels her control over her body vanish, and she gasps quietly. Hama's lips curl into a smirk, and she whispers, "You could be _unstoppable_."

* * *

The Arena is a snowy, frozen tundra, not unlike her home, and she loves that.

This is what she grew up in. This was working to her advantage. This snow, this ice… this _water_…oh, the wonders she could do with it. This is her home turf, and she and everyone else knows it.

The only problem she faces in the first twenty four hours is the fact that it is so cold, and she has nothing to light a fire with. The wood is sopping wet, and even though she can get it dry, she has no kindling. So she spends her first night, dry, cold, and fearful.

The next few days are similar, though she does pick up an ally on the way. She had been awfully stupid on day three—though she liked to blame that on the cold getting to her—and had walked right into a group of Firebenders.

Now, anyone from the Fire Nation is bad by the rest of the world's standards. But they are on a different level than Firebenders. And even Firebenders weren't as bad compared to the Fire Nation Royal Family. This group unfortunately consists of the two latter. Not only did they have normal, angry Firebenders, but this year's games had also been graced with none other than Princess Azula as a tribute.

The Princess wastes no time in getting to her feet and blasting a tendril of fire at Katara. Any bender, even a Water Tribe peasant, is the primary threat. Waterbenders, however, are especially a threat, given the climate around them.

Katara runs. She knows that she could take on a couple of the benders, but five Firebenders, one of which was the Firebending prodigy herself? Swiping a blanket of snow back at them, the Water Tribe girl runs for her life, not bothering to listen to the obscenities that came from the angry benders. All that matters is getting out of there.

But she is tired, and there are so many of them. It feels like she had been running for miles, and she hasn't stopped since she had stumbled upon their camp. She is almost ready to give up when she passes by a tree, and a hand grabs her wrist, pulling her up.

She barely has time to gasp as the figure covered her mouth, muttering, "Don't make a sound."

Wisely, Katara decides to listen, and the two wait up there for several minutes, until her mysterious savior decides that the coast was clear. Still, he only holds onto her, and as quietly as he can, climbs higher up the tree.

Once they are perched in a fairly sturdy branch, the boy who saved her smiles lightly and says, "I'm Aang."

He is bald, and had bright blue arrow tattoos—the marks of an Airbending master. He has a goofy smile, and his gray eyes sparkle, unlike Hama's, which had been dull. Katara stares at his outstretched hand for several moments, until she finally decides that he was worth trusting and said, "Katara."

"Allies?" Aang says quietly, and Katara had just nods, unsure of how to thank the monk for saving her life.

It is down to the final five tributes when Katara finally says what's been eating at her since she first befriended Aang.

* * *

"I think we should split up," she says, and her voice is so unbelievably quiet that Aang has to take a moment to rethink what she just said.

He looks up at her dead serious face, and realizes what she means. If they were to continue being allies, it might come down to just the two of them, and he knows he could never be able to kill Katara.

Aang's gray eyes are filled with immense sadness, and it pains Katara to see him like that because she loves him—in a completely platonic way, because she barely knows him. But, if by some miracle, they both could live… she thinks that might actually change. She hates thinking of this, because she knows there is no way. If one of them was to be the victor, the other would have to die.

"I guess this is goodbye, then." His voice is choked up with emotion, and they lock eyes. Gray meets blue.

Katara nods sadly. "Thank you, Aang," she murmurs, and before she can say anything else, he pulls her into a tight hug. Her head is buried in his chest, and his head in her shoulder. A tear falls from her eyes as he lets go and gives her a small smile.

They take not another minute to gather their things, and then they are on their separate ways.

* * *

"Get back here, you filthy _peasant_!"

Katara is weaving her way through the trees, panting heavily as Azula chases after her, right on her heels. She's tried bending to hold the princess off, but it's difficult to do with a wounded shoulder and exhaustion creeping up on her. And as she ducks behind another tree, anxiously checking if Azula is there, she can only hope that Aang will be the victor, not the Fire Nation Princess.

It's now down to just the three of them, and Azula is virtually on the verge of cracking. All of her allies were slaughtered in front of her, including her longtime suitor, Chan. That seemed to be her breaking point; after which, she turned her fury on the remaining tributes—beginning with the man who had killed her fiancé, an Earthbender named Haru.

"What's the matter?" Azula taunts. "Too scared to fight me? Don't worry, I promise that when I kill you, it won't hurt_too_much."

The princess stumbles onto the main path that Katara had been running on—luckily, Katara managed to bend away her footprints—and lets loose a deranged cackle. "Come out, come out wherever you are, peasant!" she shrieks, like she is having a merry time with all of this.

Katara grits her teeth. Maybe if she dies, Aang could find Azula, kill her, and be able to go home. Unfortunately, Aang wouldn't kill a _spiderfly _on purpose. But the sudden thought crosses her mind… If she were to survive her encounter with Azula and somehow maybe even kill her, then it would come down to just her and Aang. The last thing she wanted was to kill Aang.

Shakily, she stands, getting into one of her forms. With a fluid movement, she whips the water towards the unsuspecting Azula, and calls out, "Looking for me, hm?"

The water impacts with the girl, and she cries out very briefly, before turning to face Katara. Lips curling into a smirk, she replies, "Hiding like a coward, I see. Very well. I suppose I'll have to make this quick so I can go and kill your little boyfriend too."

Once again, Katara's teeth clench together, and she hisses, "You'll have to go through me first."

The fight goes better than expected, at least until Azula begins conjuring up lightning.

All Katara can think of is a long string of curses. She stands there, merely frozen, partially from fear, partially because she doesn't want to use her last resort, partially for Aang. If she dies, there is a chance that Aang might be able to live. So Katara merely stands, eyes closed as she waits for the lightning.

It never comes.

Instead, she is roughly shoved to the ground, and a person lands on top of her, an anguished cry filling the air. The voice is familiar, too familiar. With horrifying realization, she opens her eyes.

And Aang is lying on top of her, his body still convulsing from the hit, his shirt burnt right through, and an agonized expression on his face.

"Aang!" The scream is torn from her lips, and she cradles his head in her lap, tears flooding her eyes. She's ready to drop everything and try to save his life with what little healing she knows when a familiar laugh breaks through the silence.

"Isn't that sweet?" Azula sneers. "The monk and the peasant. How cute."

There is something inside of Katara that ignites—some kind of raging anger towards Azula and a passionate protectiveness towards Aang—and she shakily stands up. The sun has long since set, and the Moon is in clear view. She lifts her hands and takes a deep breath.

"_Feel the power of the Moon, Katara." _Hama's raspy voice echoes through her mind._"For years, Waterbenders have been blessed by its glow. Feel the life, the strength it gives you."_

Then, her arms are moving, and Azula gasps, much like Katara had done, her limbs twisting painfully. She lets out a strangled noise that sounds like a dying animal as Katara brings her to her knees.

"You should not have hurt my friend," she whispers harshly, and without another second, she snaps the girl's neck. The cannon goes off not a moment later. **[1]**

She has no time to regret her actions, though she is certain she'll regret it later. Instead, she runs to Aang, gathering water in her hands as a last attempt to heal him.

She turns him upright, and the Airbender groans, opening his eyes weakly. "H-hey, 'Tara," he mutters.

Katara blinks her tears away, and lowers her hands, which are covered by water and glowing towards Aang's chest. But before they can come in contact with the wound, Aang grabs her wrist and in a strained voice says, "Don't."

His voice is pleading, and Katara meets his gray eyes, searching for some hint that he is joking. There is no sign.

"Aang…"

The sixteen year-old just flashes her a sad smile, not unlike the one he had given her when they parted ways. "You can go home, Katara," he says hoarsely. "You're going to make it out of here."

She chokes upon hearing that. "But you're not," she points out.

This elicits a teasing albeit pained laugh. "Couldn't tell," he says.

"Why did you do it?" Katara's eyes are closed.

Aang coughs painfully, and his hand makes its way to hers. "I'd rather die than you," he murmurs gently.

When she says nothing, he gives her hand a squeeze. "I love you, 'Tara," he whispers. Her eyes fly open. "I know we haven't known each other, but since I'm dying—"

She leans down and kisses him.

It's very brief and tender, and she pulls away first. "I love you too," she admits quietly, unsure if she quite loves him yet, but he saved her life and she does sort of like him.

Aang grins his signature grin, and words are scarce as his breaths become shorter. Blue is looking into gray as the final breaths flee his body. "Don't forget me," he croaks.

Tears are slipping down Katara's face. "Never," she promises breathlessly.

The cannon goes off.

* * *

Katara returns home, a victor in the eyes of the Capitol. But in her eyes, she is nothing but a monster.

Azula's terrified eyes haunt her dreams, as does Aang's pained face. She finds herself waking up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. Every life she took follows her. The names, the faces. She cannot forget them.

And as the years go on and she has to become the Water Tribes' new female mentor, she absolutely refuses to teach anyone her 'signature move,' as the press calls it. No one will have to live with the burden that she carries; no one will feel the guilt she fills. Never again will the dark art be taught.

Never.

* * *

_Fin._

* * *

**AN: ...What is with me a depressing things? I think I have a knack for killing off main character. *.***

**[1]: So... slight reference to an amazing British show. Anyone wanna take a guess?**

**Thanks for reading! **


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